If you’re worried that you’re not producing enough breast milk for your baby, you’re not alone.
Can you increase breast milk production?
For many women, your milk supply is just fine. However, if you do need to increase your breast milk production, there are ways to do it.
The following are things that you can do to increase breast milk production. How long it’ll take to boost your milk supply depends on how low your supply is to begin with and what’s contributing to your low breast milk production. Most of these methods, if they’re going to work for you, should begin working within a few days.
1. Breastfeed more often
Breastfeed often and let your baby decide when to stop feeding.
When your baby suckles your breast, hormones that trigger your breasts to produce milk are released. That’s the “let-down” reflex. The let-down reflex is when muscles in your breasts contract and move the milk through the ducts, which happens shortly after your baby begins breastfeeding. The more you breastfeed, the more milk your breasts make.
Breastfeeding your new baby 8 to 12 times a day can help establish and maintain milk production. But this doesn’t mean that more or fewer feedings indicates a problem.
2. Pump between feedings
Pumping between feedings can also help you increase milk production. Warming your breasts before pumping can help make you more comfortable and pump easier, too.
Try pumping whenever:
You have milk left over after a feeding.
Your baby has missed a feeding.
Your baby gets a bottle of breast milk or formula
3. Breastfeed from both sides
Have your baby feed from both breasts at each feeding. Let your baby feed from the first breast until they slow down or stop feeding before offering the second breast. The stimulation of having both breasts breastfed from can help increase milk production. Pumping milk from both breasts simultaneously has also been found Trusted Source to increase milk production and result in a higher fat content in the milk.
4. Lactation cookies
You can find lactation cookies in stores or you can make your own. While there’s no research available on lactation cookies specifically, some of the ingredients have been linked to an increase in breast milk. These foods and herbs contain galactagogues, which may promote lactationTrusted Source. More research is needed, though.
Some of these include:
whole oats
wheat germ
brewer’s yeast
flaxseed meal
Easy lactation cookie recipe
Ingredients
2 cups white flour
2 cups oats
1 tbsp. wheat germ
1/4 cup brewers’ yeast
2 tbsp. flaxseed meal
1 cup butter, softened
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Mix the flaxseed meal with water in small bowl and let soak for at least 5 minutes.
Cream the butter and white and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat on low for 30 seconds or until ingredients are combined. Stir in flaxseed meal and water.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, and salt. Add to butter mixture, and stir just until combined. Fold in the oats.
Roll dough into 2-inch balls and place 2 inches apart onto a baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges start to golden. Let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for 1 minute. Cool on a wire rack.
You also can add dried fruit, chocolate chips, or nuts for some variety.
5. Foods, herbs, and supplements
There are other foods and herbs that may increase breast milk production, such as Satavari powder will help you to increase breast milk supply, you can easy ordered it from Amazon, fenugreek, have been found to take effect in as little as seven days. These foods and herbs include:
garlic
ginger
fenugreek
fennel
brewer’s yeast
blessed thistle
alfalfa
spirulina
Always talk to your Lactation consultant before taking a new supplement, especially when breastfeeding. Even natural remedies can cause side effects.
